Page 37 of Clean Slade
As per custom, she rolled her eyes before she spoke.
“No. Of course not. Daddy just says we can’t keep a pet. He won’t tell me why.”
I watched the young girl for a few moments but kept my attention on the road. I had a feeling I knew why he told her no.
He’d barely made it out alive with her when those men came for him. I couldn’t imagine having a pet to rescue and lug around would improve matters.
He didn’t want to make it harder to run.
Maybe that was why he wouldn’t kiss me. He was afraid he’d have to run and leave me hanging.
Maybe he didn’t want to start something he couldn’t finish.
The thing was, I’d meant what I’d told him. I would always be there to protect him. I didn’t care if it was weird or creepy, but it felt like fate had brought him back into my life for a reason, and I’d be a fool to let him go.
Besides, I always kept my promises.
We got back to the yurt retreat, and I asked Mac to help me with the bags, but as soon as I stepped out of the car, I knew something was wrong.
There were tire marks on the ground that didn’t match my car. And the yurt’s door was wide open.
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Mac, wait in the car,” I shouted at the girl when she opened the back door.
I ran inside, and just as I expected, I didn’t find King there.
The bathroom.
He had to be there. He had to.
I made a mad dash for the outhouse and knocked on the door.
“King. Are you in there? Please tell me you’re in there. King? King?”
I waited a moment that felt like a century and then snatched the handle to yank the door open.
Empty.
“Shit. They found us.”
How? How could they have found us? I’d made sure we covered our tracks. I’d made sure we weren’t followed.
It was my fault.
It was all my fault.
I’d promised I’d always be there to protect him, and I’d failed.
I’d given him my word, and I’d failed.
I failed him.
What on earth am I going to do now?
TEN
